An Uncomfortable Relationship
by Imperius
Summary: One shot Rukato. After Takato is heartbroken from losing Jeri to someone else, he tries to go for Rika. But Rika is new at the whole love thing. Dedicated to DC: please R/R.


J16: Here we are, my first (and probably only) Rukato fic, it's just a one- shot, so this is something new for me.  
  
Terriermon: Like a bath?  
  
J16: Whatever. I dedicate this to DC, the converter to my semi-Rukato fondness. Let me tell you DC, this helped me understand Rukato a bit more, and if you have nothing else to write, why not try writing a Jurato? It could be one shot like mine, and I guarantee it'll open your views on this couple. I am, however, glad that you're not one of those "love Rukato, hate Jurato" people.  
  
Probably gets a '10' on the sappy rating. (shrugs) Anyway, on with the fic!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
An Uncomfortable Relationship  
  
The thirteen year old goggleheaded boy from Shinjuku was full of confidence in the world.  
  
He knew that Jeri Katou, the auburn-haired girl whose family owned the restaurant down several blocks, was the girl of his dreams, and he planned to ask her out on a date. His friend Henry Wong told him where she would be after school, and that's where he would also go.  
  
The park.  
  
Takato checked his clock in his bedroom: 6:30. She would be there at seven o' clock sharp. He stormed out the door of his bedroom, but not before grabbing a teddy bear that he had bought for her.  
  
'This stuffed animal will more than convince her,' he thought as he walked down towards the park.  
  
The bright sun shone down on Takato, as if it were on his side. He noticed a few clouds gathering as well, but he ignored it as he continued to the park.  
  
It was 6:59 when he approached the front of the recreational area; left hand holding teddy bear, right hand holding the grace of God.  
  
-Now where is she?  
  
He scanned the park with his eyes, looking to the left, looking to the right, but the only people he saw were little kids on the slides and their grandparents watching them. He started walking around, looking for Jeri, when he finally heard a familiar feminine voice.  
  
He automatically knew it was Jeri, but he decided to stay low and wait for her. He also heard a male voice from not too far away, but he ignored it and waited for Jeri to come out of the corner.  
  
-Come on, almost there...  
  
Takato's heart raced a mile per second as he eagerly anticipated the girl of his dreams to show up. And sure enough, there was the girl in the green dress, appearing out of the corner. Takato quickly put a smile on, as he prepared to show himself to her.  
  
-She's mine.  
  
Suddenly, when her hand appeared, the hand was not alone. It was, indeed, accompanied by another arm, one bigger than hers, also tanner-  
  
-What's going on?  
  
Takato saw who the hand belonged to. It wasn't a girl, which was what Takato hoped, because good girls who are friends hold each other's hands, for it belonged to a boy. Ryo Akiyama's, to be precise.  
  
Takato panicked, not knowing what was going on.  
  
-Maybe there's something wrong with her hand. I would have a problem too, if I wore a sock puppet all the time-  
  
Takato ran out of possible excuses as what he saw next broke his heart. Right before his eyes, Jeri and Ryo put their faces together and enjoined their lips in a kiss.  
  
-Oh my God...  
  
Takato dropped the teddy bear that lay in his hand. His heart had broken right in front of him, his face as sullen as it could ever be.  
  
-I thought she like me, but, I guess it wasn't so...  
  
**************  
  
Rika Nonaka was taking her daily walk around the park, possibly looking for someone to talk to.  
  
-Now that I think about it, there is no one for me to talk to.  
  
She didn't exactly have many friends, and for the select few she had, she would usually scare them away with her uncharacteristic toughness. She'd even throw a few punches at them.  
  
Rika found a nearby bench and sat down. Even though it was only the afternoon, it had started to get dark, and she planned to leave soon.  
  
But as she prepared to get up, her eye caught sight of a familiar face- Takato Matsuki.  
  
-He's a pretty nice guy, maybe he can talk to me. Or not...  
  
**************  
  
Takato, the teary-eyed gogglehead, decided to go home now.  
  
He was approaching the west side of the park near the exit when he noticed his strawberry-haired 'friend' sitting on a bench from close by.  
  
-Maybe she would understand...then again, it is Rika...  
  
He took a chance with the Digimon Queen and approached her. He sat down next to Rika, making her move over to the side a little bit.  
  
"Hey Rika," he said to her.  
  
"Hey yourself," she responded.  
  
-I knew this was a bad idea...  
  
"Look, Rika, I'm not trying to do anything, I just want to talk to you about something."  
  
-Well. Might as well pass the time with gogglehead.  
  
"I'm listening," she said, taking a breath.  
  
"I was going to ask Jeri out, but then I saw her holding hands with Ryo..."  
  
-Ugh. Not that pretty boy.  
  
"And then he kissed her and she...she...liked it!" He cried out, sticking his hands in the air, making Rika dodge to the right.  
  
-I don't want to hear his life story.  
  
"So then what?" she returned, wanting to continue the conversation.  
  
"So then, I walked over here, and I saw you. I just wanted to talk to you."  
  
-What am I supposed to say?  
  
"So what, do you need therapy or something?" she sternly said. "You know, I'm not a psy-"  
  
"Ok, so I know you're not. I just wanted someone to talk to, and I figured you would be able to. I guess I was wrong." Takato got up from the bench and started to walk away.  
  
-Man, that guy has some issues.  
  
Looking back, Rika also knew she had some issues as well, what with her mother and all, but she didn't want to think about that right now.  
  
"Sometimes the best way to feel better about yourself is to make someone else feel better about themselves."  
  
Rika remembered that from her grandmother, when she was about five years old. Of course, she never had followed that saying-  
  
-I guess I could try it.  
  
"Takato, wait up!" She heard herself call out to the brown-haired boy.  
  
-I can't believe I'm doing this.  
  
Takato turned around and saw the girl calling him. He ran over to her, curious as to what she might say.  
  
-Maybe she would apologize. That would be a first...  
  
They met, and Rika gave a light laugh. "Let's go get something to eat," she said, smiling. Takato, meanwhile, was confused.  
  
-Get something to eat? That's a bit forward...  
  
"Alright," he said, beginning to cheer up a little.  
  
**************  
  
The two children stopped at a close pizza place. Rika knew it was perfect. It wasn't too obvious or would give Takato the false sense that she actually liked him, but she actually wanted to talk to him and maybe have a real friend, and a pizza stop seemed to be the best way to do so.  
  
Takato and Rika sat down on a nearby seat, waiting for the pizza to come, and as they waited, Rika decided to start it.  
  
"How much do you like Jeri?" she asked him.  
  
He frowned. "I think the question was, 'how much did you like her?' I always figured she liked me, I guess I was wrong about that. But to have her with Ryo--"  
  
"Uh, that guy makes me sick," Rika interrupted. Takato looked at her. "Sorry," she said.  
  
"Anyway," he continued, "I figured I could talk to someone, and you just happened to be at the park as well. Call it chance or whatnot."  
  
-Why did he talk to me? He knows I'm weak at these kinds of things.  
  
-Ha. Weak. What a stupid word.  
  
"Look, Takato," she started, "Just give it some time. And if Jeri doesn't want to be with you, I know you'll find someone better."  
  
Takato smiled. Those words meant so much for him. Did it actually come out of Rika's mouth? "Thanks, Rika," he blurted out.  
  
-Maybe Rika would be that better person.  
  
Rika?  
  
-Ha. Never.  
  
Through all of this, however, Takato couldn't help but look at her throughout the time they spent at the pizza parlor. Her long, strawberry hair flowing down to her shoulders, her beautiful violet eyes, the occasional smile she wore, her 'semi'-kindness, just kind of all put together to form her.  
  
-I can't be coming on to her. She's the Digimon Queen.  
  
But it was too late for poor Takato. He'd done it, and now he moved on and has a crush on Rika Nonaka.  
  
The pizza finally arrived and Takato and Rika quickly dug into the hot food. Rika occasionally looked up at him, while giving a content sigh every now and then.  
  
-He is a great guy. I don't know why I never saw this from him.  
  
So for the rest of the time they spent there they talked about digimon, school, and any other thing that came to their minds. It was strange in a way that they could talk to each other for so long when they really didn't know each other except through digimon, but they both felt comfortable being around each other and just having a good time...  
  
-Takato is kinda cute... did I just say that?  
  
Rika, whether she knew it or not, had found her deep feelings for Takato, and despite whether she wanted to admit or not admit it, it was there. She felt an uncomfortable knot in her stomach, probably not from the pizza, though she wished it were.  
  
-I hope love doesn't feel like this.  
  
"I gotta go to the bathroom," she said to Takato, his mouth full of pepperoni pizza.  
  
"Take as much time as you need," he replied, "I won't be going anywhere."  
  
Rika nodded, sat up, and went to the bathroom. Takato glanced over at her.  
  
-So full of spunk; is this my kind of girlfriend?  
  
*************  
  
Rika splashed the cold water from the sink onto her face and dried off. The feeling in her stomach wouldn't go away; she knew that if it actually was the pizza, it would have gone away by now. She knew what it was. And the feeling was getting worse. In fact, really worse...  
  
She ran into one of the vacant stalls, put her head down near the toilet, and let the latrine have it.  
  
-Lovesick. I guess it lives up to its name.  
  
When she was done, she flushed the toilet, and rinsed her mouth about five times in the sink.  
  
-Ugh, that feels much better.  
  
She reached into her purse (yes, she carries a purse) and pulled out a breath mint.  
  
-I knew these things would come in handy some day.  
  
She put in her mouth, ridding it of bad breath that she left behind in the toilet. Also, just in case Takato might try to kiss her...  
  
-Better to be safe than sorry.  
  
***************  
  
Rika exited the bathroom and sat back down in the chair across from Takato. "Man, that sure took a long time," he chimed in.  
  
"Yeah, well when you're a girl, it happens," she answered.  
  
-What the hell did I just say?  
  
Takato seemed unmoved by the comment. "Well, whenever you're ready."  
  
She nodded. "I'm ready."  
  
-I hope he decides to walk me home...  
  
"Um," Takato stumbled, "let me walk you home, if that's alright with you..."  
  
Of course she wanted him to walk her home.  
  
-Why have I resorted to this, Gogglehead taking me home-  
  
-Chill out, sister, you know you like it.  
  
-Well, I guess you're right.  
  
"I'd like for you to," she heard herself say. "I mean, if it's not too much trouble..."  
  
"Are you kidding?" Takato returned. "It would be of the utmost privilege to take the Digimon Queen to her dwelling..."  
  
-Ha. What a dork.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
**************  
  
Takato and Rika walked toward the girl's house, not really talking, but more having a fight within their own character. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but with each step they took, their relationship kept expanding.  
  
The sun was starting to set now, and darkness soon escaped to the outside environment. The rising of night prompted the two kids to make haste towards Rika's house.  
  
-The way she walks too, it makes me... content.  
  
-Content? What the hell are you talking about?  
  
Takato kept debating with his conscience while looking at the same age, same heighted girl right next to him, who kept walking.  
  
-This is a stupid idea. I'm too forward with her, walking her home?  
  
-Every chick likes it, Takato, believe me. Rika is no exception...  
  
Takato shrugged and kept walking.  
  
Rika, meanwhile, was having a fight with herself as well, trying to shake off the possible infatuation of Gogglehead next to her.  
  
-Sister, you know you like him.  
  
-How do you know? This is the first time this has ever happened to me.  
  
-You didn't throw up just because of the pizza. All first loves are like that. You get uncomfortable, and it's alright. You're just a bit weaker than most-  
  
-Don't even say that word. Weak is not in my vocabulary, and I don't plan to use it.  
  
-You just did-  
  
-Whatever. Takato is only walking me home; what could that mean?  
  
-It means that he cares about you. He loves you.  
  
-Renamon loved me too. What difference is there?  
  
-It's a different kind of love, sister.  
  
Rika shrugged and continued to her house.  
  
*************  
  
By the time the two made it to Rika's house, the outside was covered with darkness, and the porch light had turned on, shining at the doorstep, where the two stood.  
  
-Here goes nothing...  
  
-Here goes anyting...  
  
"Rika?"  
  
"Yes, Takato?"  
  
"...Thank you for listening to me. I'm glad that there's someone out there who cares for me."  
  
"And I'm more than happy to talk to you. Whenever you're feeling down, don't hesitate to stop by, alright?"  
  
Before she knew it, Takato placed his lips gently on her right cheek, not letting her react. Rika instantly blushed while Takato smiled.  
  
-Oh, my stomach again...  
  
"...See ya, Gogglehead," was all she said, blushing as she walked inside the safety of her own home. She smiled at the brown-haired boy and closed the door.  
  
She gave a positive sigh as she continued to her room. Her mother, meanwhile, noticed her smile as she passed her.  
  
"A boy must have brought happiness to her life," she said to herself.  
  
And it was true. As uncomfortable the relationship was, Rika felt happy and content that someone out there really did care about her.  
  
Thirteen-year-old Takato Matsuki felt the same way as well.  
  
***************  
  
So how was it? Probably not really a Rukato as other one-shoters, 'cause I'm really not Rukato, but anyway, please review, especially DC! 


End file.
